The Chinese New Year is truly felt and customarily begins at the reunion dinner, where families from near and far share a meal and look back at the hard work throughout the past year while wishing each other another good one the next.
Dining together to celebrate the start of the year is an important occasion that should be commemorated with food that reflect this. Typically indulged with friends, family, coworkers, and business associates.
Hezrin Ali, the Head of Marketing Communication, had recently invited The Iskandarian to the Wan Li Chinese Restaurant’s media review, which was meticulously prepared by the entire team from the kitchen, dining hall, and the marketing department.
Not only was the entire restaurant decorated with symbols of happiness and wealth, but the eight dishes of their Prosperity set were beautifully presented for our eyes to feast on before we were seated to toss our Yee Sang together, simulating our reunion dinner.
Meeting old and new friends in the same industry made the Prosperity Crispy Fish Skin Yee Sang, served with Crispy Shredded Treasures & Plum Dressing, more enjoyable and tastier. I enquired about the brand of the crispy fish skin in the Yee Sang but was instead served a generous plateful of new ones. I later discovered they were made fresh in their kitchen! It increased my appreciation for the Yee Sang here.
A bowl of Double-Boiled Village Chicken Soup with American Ginseng comes next, an appetiser that is, not to say too much, a bowl of luxurious, healthy ingredients. A perfect beginning to symbolise great wealth and wishing for good health.
After warming our taste buds and hearts, the Crispy Cantonese Roasted Duck & Herbal Roasted Free-Range Chicken were served as perfectly cooked protein pieces, bathed nicely with beneficial and popular herbs. It’s important for me to relay how pleased I am to find out the meat is free-range and lived in the village.
Besides it being a responsible choice, the poultry that lives its life with happiness transfers its joy to our plate. Another important element to begin a new year with.
To wish life longevity, the fish dish for this Prosperity set comes in the form of poached
“Pontian” Silver Pomfret with Pickled Radish and Coriander in Soy Sauce. Another “health is wealth” celebration for the start of the New Year is a local, fresh pomfret from the Pontian district in the lovely colour of silver, soaked in the delicious soy sauce after the poaching process, which is a healthier cooking alternative.
I find this dish poetic, much like the harmony between the fish’s sweetness and the sauce’s savouriness.
I shared my share of the delectable Wok-Fried De-Shelled Prawns with Golden Salted Egg and Ma La Style, as well as Wan Li’s speciality, braised 6-head Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Dried Scallop with Seasonal Vegetables in Black Moss Sauce with other members present as I have a shellfish allergy.
One of them at my table taught me that having wealth and luxury is useless if we don’t share it with those we care! I couldn’t agree more.
We then enjoyed a substantial serving of the fragrant Imperial Eight-Treasure Fragrant
Rice, fit for a king and had many colourful grains arranged along the plate’s curves! It was so appetising to see that you were moved to eat it even when you thought you were full of the earlier dishes. At every spoonful, I felt like royalty, enjoying the luxurious and delicious serving, which is a perfect rendition to usher in the Year of the Horse with energy and grace.
Finally, nothing pumps the dopamine more than something sweet. And nothing tasted more New Year than Nian Gao. The tasty, chewy traditional treats are even better when found beneath crispy, fried pastry. I savoured the dish slowly, not wanting the joy of eating it to end.
That is until I discovered the Chilled Peach Gum with Snow Fungus, Dried Longan & Red Dates served to soothe our taste buds as well as to conclude our celebration.
A gentle scoop of the cool, sweet soup, with the yummy and chewy yet beneficial peach gum and snow fungus, made me realise that while we are all fired up to begin the New Year with a good spirit, it is just as important to wind down when needed and stay calm when things get rough.
The 8-Course Feast of Togetherness and Celebration is not just a roundtable meal but a complete symbolism to remind and celebrate life together.
The reunion dinner reservations can be made now until 3rd March 2026, allowing more time for everyone to enjoy their excellent menu.
For the dinner on the 16th of February itself, the first session is from 5pm to 7pm and the second session is from 8pm to 10pm.
The sets are priced as follows:
Auspicious Set
MYR 2,388 net per table of 10 persons
MYR 1,588 net per table of 6 persons
Prosperity Set
MYR 2,888 net per table of 10 persons
MYR 1,888 net per table of 6 persons
Happiness Set
MYR 3,188 net per table of 10 persons
MYR 1,988 net per table of 6 persons
All sets include one Wan Li CNY Goodies Box.
For the full menu of each set, click https://www.wanlichineserestaurant.com/lto-page.
For reservations or enquiries, send an email to henry.lee@renaissancehotels.com or text to WhatsApp Business number +6012 771 9056 or you may call at +607 381 3388.
